Dispensing container



R. HOLLERITH, JR 3,241,897

DIsPENsING CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 22, 1966 Filed April so,1963 ATTORNEY March 22, 1966 R. HoLLERrrH, JR

DISPENSING coNTAINER 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Filed April 30, 1965 INVENTOR.RICHARD HOLLERlTH. J R.

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ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,241,897 DISPENSING CGNTAINER RichardHollerith, Jr., Upper Montclair, NJ., assignor to Monroe InternationalCorporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 30, 1963, Ser. No.276,904 11 Claims. (Cl. S12-97.1)

This invention pertains to dispensing holders or containers for materialin long strip form from which selected small lengths are t-o be tornoff.

As is well known, trading stamps and postage stamps are customarilyprovided in the form of a strip, usually as a roll, with the individualstamps of the strip being separated from one another by a row ofperforations. For use, it is necessary that small lengths of varyingnumbers of the stamps be torn from the strip.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a novel andinexpensive structure to hold the stamps and lto facilitate tearing theselected numbers of stamps from the long strip.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a novel, convenientlyusable, `and inexpensive holder or container for such strip materialwhich includes provision for permitting ready access to the stripmaterial for manual selection of the desired strip length to be tornoff, and which also includes a convenient tear guide control means.

It is a further object to provide the foregoing in a structure whi-chreadily lends itself to economical, mass production integralplastic-molding techniques,

As described in detail subsequently, the preferred herein disclosedexemplary embodiment of the invention comprises a box-like container forthe strip material. A slot provided in the wall of the container allowsthe free end of the strip to extend outside the container for manualaccess thereto. The slot is provided adjacent one end of the openablecover of the container. The container is provided with an vintegralhinged flap adjacent the slot. The flap is adapted to be pressed againstthe outside'of the container cover to clasmp the strip between it andthe cover, the free end of the flap providing a tear guide edge alongwhich af selected strip length can be readily and neatly torn.

Although the invention is intended primarily for dispensing trading andpostage stamps and the like, it can FIG. 8 is a front elevational viewof the removable divider plate used in the container;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modification of thedevi-ce of FIG. 9.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-8 of the drawings, the reference numeral 1designates generally a preferred embodiment of a dispensing containerincorporating the principles of the invention. As will become apparent,the container 1 is so designed as to readily lend itself to beingmanufactured as an integral unit of plastic material, such aspolypropylene,

Container 1 includes a bottom wall 2, front and back walls 3 and 4, andleft and right end walls 5 and 6 It also includes a cover member 10. Thelatter comprises primarily a flat, top wall portion 10a per se, andinturned or depending rim wall portions 10b, 10c, 10d extendingcontinuously along the front, right, and rear-but not the left-peripherythereof. The lower edge of the rear rim wall portion 10d is integrallyhinged to the upper edge of rear wall 4 along hinge line 11, and whenthe entire cover 10 is folded down about the hinge line from its openposition of FIG. 4 to the closed position of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 7, rim' wall10d forms a vertical extension of rear wall 4.

At this juncture, it may be mentioned that hinge line 11, as well as thevarious other hinge lines or integral hinges described subsequently, areprovided by the conventional technique used in plastic design ofreducing the materiall thickness along the hinge line to permit therequired pivotal movement at the hinge.

When the container is closed, an outturned continuous integral angerltleprovided a short distance above the outer (or lower) ends of rim walls10b, 10c, 10d, is seated against the upper edges of the front, rightside, and rear walls 3, 6, 4 (note FIG. 7).

As best seen in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, left end wall 5 is of a greaterheight than the other three vertical walls so as to terminatesubstantially flush with or slightly above the upper or outside surfaceof cover 10. Integrally hinged also be used for dispensing any otherdesired tearable material.

The present invention represents a substantial advance over prior artdevices, such asdisclosed in the following United States patents:1,285,240; 2,361,730; 2,725,244; 2,847,118; 2,876,892; 3,016,135.'

The'above and other objects, advantages, and features I of the inventionwill become apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdetailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, whenread in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG, 1 is a front elevational view of a dispensing containerillustrating the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a left side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the top cover open andtear guide flap held back, to permit a roll of stamps to be loaded intothe container;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the bottom wall of thedispensing container showing the manner in which the container ismounted on a bracket plate or the like and releasably detented thereto;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line V II-VII of FIG. 1,showing one of the latching tabs for holding the cover closed;

tothe upper edge of wall 5 along line 12 is a flap 13 having its freeend edge beveled at 13a. The adjacent, left-hand end of cover member 10terminates a short distance from the inner face of end wall 5 to denetherebetween a narrow slot 14.

.Asmentioned previously, the invention is intended primarily for thedispensing of stamps such as trading stamps. Reference numeral 15designates a strip of such stamps in roll form, provided with the usualrows of perforations separating individual stamps from each other. Itwill be understood, however, that the invention can be employed fordispensing any desired tearable material in strip form; and further,that the strip need not necessarily be in roll form but could beprovided in any other continuous strip form, eg., fan-folded.

To load the container, the stamp roll 15 is placed therein while thecover 10 is held swung back to open positon and flap 13 held away fromthe cover, as shown in FIG. 4. Thereafter, the cover is swung shut, withthe flap still being held folded back. The ap is then released.Preferably, it normally assumes the angular position shown in FIG. 1,although this can be varied as desired depending upon the design detailsof the container, e.g., dimensions, materials, etc.

Cover 10 is adapted to be releasably latched in closed position by meansof latching tabs 16 each cooperable with a related latching detentprojection 17 formed in the front wall 3.

Prior to closing the top cover, a sufficient length of the free endportion of the stamp roll 15 is held outside the container adjacent flap13 so that when the cover is closed 3 the free end of the roll willextend through slot 14 to the exterior of the container as seen in FIG.1.

After the roll is loaded into container 1 and cover 10 closed, theoperator merely grasps the free end of the strip and pulls it to causethe selected length of the strip to be withdrawn from the container. Tofacilitate measuring olf the strip length to be torn off, the uppersurface of cover member is provided with index lines 22 representingdifferent stamp lengths measured from the line assumed by the free endof flap 13 when the latter is swung downwardly into contact with theupper surface of cover 10. If desired, there can also be provided aprinted numeral adjacent each index line, indicating the number ofstamps, or the monetary value thereof, to the index line.

To keep the stamp strip straight for accurate measurement, the operatorwill lightly press flap 13 down into contact with the cov-ers uppersurface while pulling the free end of the stamp roll to the desiredlength represented by the appropriate one of index lines 22.

After this has been done, the operator presses more firmly against theflap to securely clamp the stamp strip 15 between it and the uppersurface of cover 10; and pulls the stamp strip laterally to tear italong the tear guide edge provided by the free end of the ap. Thebeveled edge 13a of the flap insures a clean tear.

In addition to serving as a tear guide, ap 13 performs other desirablefunctions. For example, it serves to impede the usual tendency of theshort, exterior free length of the stamp strip which remains aftertearing, to withdraw into the container through slot 14. Furthermore,the flap serves as a protective shield to keep dust and dirt away fromthis exterior portion of the strip. This is particularly desirable whenthe container is used for dispensing stamps, since it is customary forthe stamp recipient to moisten the stamps orally before atfixing them ina stamp book.

As best seen in FIG. '7, each of the aforementioned latching tabs 16 forthe cover comprises a tab integrally hinged at its upper edge to theouter edge of lateral flange 10e of cover member 10. Each tab has alarge opening therethrough, adapted to receive a correspondingly shaped,associated forwardly projecting integral protuberance 17 formed in thecontainers front wall 3. The lower edge of protuberance 17 and theassociated adjacent edge of tab 16 are correspondingly beveled inwardlyto provide a snap detent action. The inner side of the tab is tapered atits bottom to provide nger access for pulling the tabs free of detentprotuberances 17 when it is desired to open cover 10.

To prevent unauthorized access to the container, particularly when it isused as a stamp dispenser, it includes means allowing it to be locked bya conventional padlock of the like, as follows. A forwardly extendingapertured lug 23 is provided integral with the upper end of left-handdetent projection 16. Cover 10 includes a corresponding aperturedforwardly projecting lug 24 integral with flange 10e, and disposedwithin the central cut-out portion of the tab. When cover member 10 isfully closed lugs 23 and 24 will lie one above the other, with therespective apertures thereof aligned. The shackle of the padlock can bepassed through the aligned apertures and snapped shut.

The interior portion of dispensing container 1 will now be described.First, however, it should be noted that although the description to thispoint has spoken only of one roll, when used for dispensing tradingstamps the container will usually house two or more rolls depending onwhether so-called low or high denomination stamps are employed. Lowdenomination stamps generally represent 10 in purchase amount, and aremanufactured in one-wide and live-wide rolls. If only low denominationis used, the container will be used to simultaneously house and dispensestamps from one of each of such rolls disposed side-by-side.

High-denomination stamps, however, each represent whole dollar purchaseamounts, e.g., $1, $5, etc., and are usually single wide. Therefore, fora typical high-denomination use, the container will house threesingle-wide rolls, namely a 10g? roll, a $1 roll, and a $5 roll.

lt will be understood of course, that regardless of the types of stampsand number of rolls in the container, flap 13-which extends across thefull container width-will function as described hereinbefore for all therolls and will be used as a tear guide sequentially as needed. Thestamp-holding portion of the container is defined between left-hand endwall 5 and an upstanding interior partition wall 25 integral with bottomwall 2.

The rolls of stamps rest on two spaced upstanding ribs 26 integral withbottom wall 2 and extending across the interior width of the container.This type of support will prevent the usual back-turning which occursafter a length of stamps has been withdrawn and the free end of thestamp strip released.

To keep the stamp rolls separated from each other, divider plates 27 areemployed. One such plate 27 is shown in FIG. 8. Each divider plate isadapted to be received in one pair of opposed pair of longitudinallyaligned guide slots, each related pair of guide slots being formed bypairs of parallel closely spaced ribs 28 respectively molded integrallywith left end wall 5 and partition wall 25. Two such pair of guide slotsare provided as shown in FIG. 2. Ribs 28 also serve as reinforcingmeans.

If only low denomination stamps are used in the container, only a singledivider plate will be employed and this will be mounted in the rear setof guide slots to separate the five-wide roll `of l0 stamps from theone-wide roll. For high denomination stamp usage, an additional dividerplate will be mounted in the forward set of slots, this larrangementbeing shown in FIG. 2.

If desired, the divider plate can include indicia 30 for visuallygauging the number of stamps left on a roll at any given time.Alternatively, the stamp rolls can be numbered at suitable points alongtheir length for a precise determination of the number of stampsremaining on a roll.

Each divider plate 27 includes clearance slots 31 at its lower end forthe roll-supporting ribs 26.

Container 1 includes provision whereby it can be securely but detachablymounted at some convenient location, eg., on a cash register. Thecontainer is adapted to be so mounted by means of a bracket plate 35,portions of which are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Plate 35 includes headedpins 36 and 37 upon which the container is mounted. Bracket plate 35 isconstructed and arranged to be suitably affixed to whatever device it isdesired to mount the dispensing container on. Such details of thebracket construction form no part of the present invention.

Between the container walls 6 and 25, bottom wall 2 is provided with twokeyhole-type slots 38 and 39 spaced to receive pins 36 and 37.Integrally hinged along line 40 to wall 2 at the right-hand end of slot39 is a tab 41. To mount container 1 on bracket plate 35, the former ispositioned with the large openings of slots 38, 39 aligned with theheads of pins 36, 37; and pushed downwardly toward the latter wherebythe pin heads pass through the slots. The container is then shifted tothe right, as limited by integral stops 42, 43, to bring the narrowportions of slots 38, 39 beneath the pin heads. Tab 41, which had beenpushed up by pin 37, is now manually pushed downwardly to cause itsnarrow, forward nose 41a to snap beneath the head of pin 37 to theposition of FIG. 6, in which position the tab serves to blocklongitudinal movement of the container for removal thereof from thebracket plate 35. Tab 41 thereby functions to prevent unauthorizedremoval of the container from the bracket plate. To dismount thecontainer, it is necessary to open cover 10 and pull tab 41 upwardly tosnap nose 41a past the head of pin 37. An integral upstanding lug 41!)of tab 41 facilitates manual manipulation thereof.

FIG. 9 shows another form of the invention. Here, the container isprovided in the form of a cylindrical receptacle 5t) adapted to containa roll of trading stamps, postage stamps, etc. A suitable removablecover 51 is provided for the receptacle 50. The free end portion of thestamp roll extends through longitudinal slot 52 provided in thecontainer wall. A tear guide iiap 53 is integrally hinged along itsinner end to an integral ledge 54 provided along one side edge of thecontainer. In use, after a desired length of stamps has been drawn fromreceptacle 50 through slot 52, flap 53 is manually swung about its hingeline to clamp the stamp strip between it and the outer surface of thecontainer. The stamps are torn along the beveled guide edge 53a of theflap. Preferably, Hap 53 is curved concavely as shown to conform to thecurvature of the outer surface of container 50, whereby when the flap isswung down for use, it will grip the stamp strip over substantially itsentire area, and its tear guide edge 53a will be close to the underlyingportion of the container well.

FIG. l shows another modified form of the invention similar to FIG. 9.Here, the tear guide flap 60 is integrally hinged to the wall ofcylindrical container 61 along one side edge of dispensing slot 62. Flap60 includes beveled tear guide edge 60a and is longitudinally arcuate asshown, so that it will closely conform to the surface of container 61when it is swung downwardly to the right for use.

It will be seen from the foregoing detailed description that theinvention provides a novel dispensing container, and particularly onewhich can be economically manufactured. For example, the container 1 ofFIGS. 1-8 can be formed in a single injection molding operation, thedivider plates 27 being the only parts for which a separatemanufacturing operation would be necessary. The FIGS.` 9 and 10 formssimilarly lend themselves to fabrication by integral molding.

Numerous modifications of the invention can be made without departingfrom the principles thereof. It is therefore intended that thedisclosure herein of various specic exemplary embodiments beillustrative only and not limitative of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A container adapted to receive material in the form of a strip,selected lengths of which are to be torn off; comprising (a) a pluralityof Walls interconnected to define therebetween a material receivingenclosure;

(b) one of said walls extending toward but terminating short of anotherof said walls, to define therebetween a slot; and

(c) a flap extending from another of said walls and exiblyinterconnected thereto to permit movement thereof towards an outersurface of said one of said walls and to press against said outersurface a portion of a strip of material when extended from saidenclosure and through said slot;

(d) the end of said ap forming a tearing edge along which any of a stripof material which extends beyond the portion thereof pressed againstsaid one wall may be t-orn oif.

2. The container of claim 1; wherein (a) said ap is formed integrallywith said other of said walls; and

(b) said flexible interconnection therewith is formed by reducing thethickness of the material thereof along a hinge line.

3. The container of claim 1; wherein (a) said one of said Walls alsoserves as a cover for said enclosure; and

(b) said one of said walls is flexibly interconnected to a coversupporting wall.

4. The container of claim 3; wherein (a) said one of said walls isformed integrally with said cover supporting wall; and

(b) said iiexible interconnection therewith is formed by reducing thethickness of the material thereof along a hinge line.

5. The container of claim 4 including means for releasably locking saidone of said walls in an enclosing position.

6. The container of claim 1; wherein (a) said one of said walls is of alength which is greater in d-imension than the length Iof said ilap; and

(b) said outer surface thereof carries indicia indicating the length ofmaterial extending beyond said iiap.

7. The container of claim 1; including separating means dividing theenclosure into compartments each adapted to receive a strip of material.

8. The container of claim 1; including (a) a mounting wall,

(b) keyhole shaped apertures formed in said mounting wall and adapted toreceive headed pins to facilitate mounting of the container; and

(c) locking means carried by said mounting wall for coaction with atleast one headed pin, when disposed in one of said apertures, to preventinadvertent removal thereof from said aperture.

9. The container of claim 8; wherein (a) said locking means is in theform of a tab formed integrally with said mounting wall and extendinginto said aperture;

(b) said locking means further including a releasing portion accessibleonly from the inside of said enclosure.

10. A dispensing device for stamps, and the like; comprising (a) a frontwall, a left side wall, a right side wall, a -back wall, a bottom walland a cover wall all integrally interconnected to lform an enclosure forthe stamps;

(b) a flexible cover hinge formed by reducing the thickness of thematerial along a hinge line between said cover wall and said back wallto permit pivotal movement of said cover wall and thereby access to saidenclosure;

(c) a through slot formed by terminating said cover wall short of saidleft side wall;

(d) a ilap formed by extending said left side wall above .said coverwall; and

(e) a flexible flap hinge formed by reducing the thickness of thematerial along a hinge line between said ap and said left side wall soas to permit movement of said ap towards said cover to pressthereagainst a length of stamps when extending from said enclosurethrough said slot;

(f) an edge of said flap forming a tearing edge along which any of thestrips of stamps which extend therebeyond may be severed.

11. The dispensing device of claim 10; wherein (a) said cover extendsbeyond said iiap when the two are in juxtaposition; and

(b) index lines are disposed on said cover to indicate the number ofstamps extending beyond said edge of said flap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/ 1944 Mueller206--54 8/1953 White 22S-36 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. FRANK L.ABBOTT, Examiner.

1. A CONTAINER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE MATERIAL IN THE FORM OF A STRIP,SELECTED LENGTHS OF WHICH ARE TO BE TORN OFF; COMPRISING (A) A PLURALITYOF WALLS INTERCONNECTED TO DEFINE THEREBETWEEN A MATERIAL RECEIVINGENCLOSURE; (B) ONE OF SAID WALLS EXTENDING TOWARD BUT TERMINATING SHORTOF ANOTHER OF SAID WALLS, TO DEFINE THEREBETWEEN A SLOT; AND (C) A FLAPEXTENDING FROM ANOTHER OF SAID WALLS AND FLEXIBLY INTERCONNECTED THERETOTO PERMIT MOVEMENT THEREOF TOWARDS AN OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ONE OF SAIDWALLS AND TO PRESS AGAINST SAID OUTER SURFACE A PORTION OF A STRIP OFMATERIAL WHEN EXTENDED FROM SAID ENCLOSURE AND THROUGH SAID SLOT; (D)THE END OF SAID FLAP FORMING A TEARING EDGE ALONG WHICH MAY OF A STRIPOF MATERIAL WHICH EXTENDS BEYOND THE PORTION THEREOF PRESSED AGAINSTSAID ONE WALL MAY BE TORN OFF.